Fascinating
facts about the invention of
Magnavox Odyssey by Ralph H. Baer in
1972.

MAGNAVOX ODYSSEY

AT A GLANCE:Ralph Baer is best known for leading the development of the Brown Box, the first
home video game console. After being licensed to Magnavox and being renamed
Magnavox Odyssey, the console was released to the public in May, 1972.
He also invented an immensely popular electronic pattern-matching game
called Simon, that is still on the market.

A video
game system manufactured by Magnavox that consisted of a console,
game cartages and translucent plastic overlays to cover a TV screen.

Patent:

3,728,480 (US) issued April 17, 1973

Inventor:

Ralph H. Baer

Criteria:

First to
invent. First to patent.

Birth:

March 8, 1922 in
Pirmasens, Germany

Currently
living in Manchester, New Hampshire

Nationality:

German

Milestones:1922 Ralph Baer born March 8, in
Pirmasens, Germany
1968 Ralph Baer has a working prototype of the "Brown Box"
finished.
1971 Baer files patent application on March 22 for TV Gaming Apparatus
1972 Magnavox licensed the Brown Box and markets it under the name Magnavox Odyssey
1973 Patent # 3,728,480 (US) issued April 17, to Ralph Baer
1975 Nintendo's first venture in gaming was as the distributor of the
Magnavox Odyssey in Japan
2004 Ralph Baer awarded The National Medal of Technology